Elijah Gonzalez's Reviews
I’m sure many Fatal Fury fans were thrilled when this game was announced, but unfortunately, the monkey’s paw curled.
Resident Evil has existed in many forms, a shifting organism that's frequently morphed into unique renditions of horror. While Shadows of Rose had an uphill battle attempting to recreate any of these styles in such a shortened runtime, even judged by these adjusted standards, it largely fails at drawing on the series' history or charting a new path. It has one particularly terrifying stretch and a couple of nice additions for die-hard Village fans, but it is largely a disappointment.
However, even with these technical issues, I enjoyed my time with Children of Morta. The constant narration depicts the bonds of family with a kind-hearted pathos, which is a welcome palate cleanser between the bouts of monster slaying. Even failed runs are rewarded with new tidbits, tying us to the Bergsons’ struggle.
While Possessor(s) doesn’t fully break from a crowded field of search-action games, its compelling characters and pointed commentary give it some personality of its own. If you’re eager to explore man-made horrors, this flaming wreck of a company town will provide.
Even with these notable problems, SCHiM still makes for a breezy time. While its level design and storytelling lack depth, its core movement feels so good you’ll be able to forgive this for much of its runtime as you dart through well-rendered street corners. There is a coherent vibe found in the sharp art design, idyllic vistas, and low-key score, which creates a soothing ambiance that makes it easy to unwind. Although I wish it ultimately gave more to chew on, cruising through SCHiM is a decent way to spend a lazy summer afternoon.
Despite some gaffes, one of its biggest strengths is that it achieves exactly what many AA titles set out to do by delivering on a somewhat uncommon genre that has largely fallen out of favor. Soulstice may not reach the highest echelons of character-action bliss, but when its art direction, mechanics, and score are in harmony, it scratches an itch that only this brand of stylish spectacle can.
Upfront, Alien: Rogue Incursion delivers exactly what you’d want from an Aliens-inspired VR game: the horror of being chased by these iconic movie monsters and the thrill of blasting them into green goo with your Pulse Rifle. But while this mission starts strong, it eventually spins its wheels, stretching out the experience for too long before ending on a disappointing cliffhanger—while it isn’t specified in the title, this is actually only Alien: Rogue Incursion Part One, with Part Two still on the way. Add in lots of technical issues and a huge accessibility shortcoming in not having teleportation movement options for people prone to motion sickness, and you have a much rockier ride than it initially appeared. With its high highs and low lows, Rogue Incursion is a little too accurate a microcosm of the Alien experience.
In many ways, The Plucky Squire gave me exactly what I wanted from its core premise. It lets you seamlessly hop between a delightfully presented fairy tale and the world outside these pages, making great use of meta elements through reality-bending puzzles and genre-switching detours. The art style is cute, and everything is presented with charm. However, while it makes for a pleasant experience upfront, it ultimately wears out its welcome due to overly simplistic battles and storytelling that lacks depth. This game may take place in a picture book, but I wish it were a tad less paper-thin.
And despite some skepticism about how its historical period would be portrayed, the early turns of its story hooked me thanks to its marriage of murder-mystery, subterfuge, and deeply felt brotherly bonds. Unfortunately, these points of familiarity eventually proved incompatible with the kind of politically charged tale it was trying to tell. While most of my time with Ishin! was a delight, its closing hours are a mess due to its inability to reconcile the series' naivety and optimism with the complexities of history, resulting in a sanitized portrayal of the past that is both bewildering and somewhat troubling.
What it does share, though, is a similar idiosyncratic streak. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of anything else that plays quite like Bokeh Game Studio’s freshman work; it’s all about darting between hosts as you chip away at unsightly creatures through even more unsightly acts of manipulation. In a time where it’s increasingly easy to rag on AAA releases for playing it safe (something they mostly do to offset rising development costs), this game feels like a throwback to the creatively risky mid-budget titles of yesteryear that the industry has largely left behind. Slitterhead may have a lot of obvious shortcomings, but I’d generally rather play a messy splatter fest than an overly sterile bore, and this game is more than happy to paint everything red.
Although Ghostrunner 2’s attempts at expanding its setting fell flat, and I wish it ran better, its central action feels sharp thanks to its empowering movement abilities, extensive offensive tools, and pulverizing but generally well-designed enemy encounters. Most of these thrilling sequences require acrobatics that had me frantically switching between maneuvers as I narrowly avoided bullets and blades. While it has some weak stretches, and its cyberpunk narrative doesn’t offer much to the canon, its frenetic platforming was enough to keep me plugging back in.
Whether it’s frantic encounters that have you juggling between weapons, scares amplified by a demonic flashlight that loves to turn off at inopportune times, or the satisfaction of progressing through these interconnected areas, the act of working through Cronos: The New Dawn is a well-measured mixture of frights and thrills. While its narrative failings prevent this experience from merging into a cohesive whole, at least it channels the appeal of its video game inspirations.
If you can ignore some of its questionable elements, Fight'N Rage delivers one of the most mechanically satisfying brawlers out there. It feels responsive and fast, opponents’ attacks are well telegraphed that make encounters fair, and the parry mechanic adds an additional layer of complexity.
Through its unsettling atmosphere and total commitment to digital misery, this is an effective experiment that taps into how many of us are feeling about our increasingly tech-company-driven future: that is, very badly.
As a whole, Children of the Sun’s explosions of violence pull us into The Girl’s quest for revenge, combining dome-blasting fun with action-puzzles that invite creativity. Equally important, the game’s aesthetic rips — its offputting art style, color choices, and unsavory elements, like the bliss The Girl takes from drilling holes in cultist skulls, driving home all the visceral details. While I wish this attention-grabbing EP had a few more tracks, what’s here lands with the impact of a hollow-point round.
undefined.Taken as a whole, what you get out of this experience will vary dramatically based on how much its melancholy tone and setting make up for its sometimes unforgiving design elements. Although its boss fights are an annoyance, the haunting atmosphere, contemplative character writing, and well-realized space leave a far greater impression than its gameplay gaffes, repeatedly pulling me back into this world. There have been many cracks at this genre since Metroid's chiptune synths first accentuated its foreboding alien backdrop, but few emulate and transcend its ambiance as well as Ghost Song.
Wanderstop is a fascinating exploration of letting go: if many games are exercises in overstimulation that play like Red Bull being poured down your gullet, then this one is more akin to having a calming sip of tea.
If I have a major issue, it’s that just as this sensation is fully kicking in, this relatively brief journey comes to a close. The problem isn’t so much the game’s length but that it only reaches its full potential in this last hour or so as it bounds towards its climax. Also, while the ultimate conclusion doesn’t necessarily undermine what came before, it doesn’t quite elevate it either, as its fairly straightforward demonstration of what it’s all “about” is somewhat clumsy compared to what it more elegantly achieves through its mechanics. Still, even if it doesn’t entirely stick the landing, Cocoon’s mind-warping puzzles and well-realized setting make for an out-of-this-world experience.
Still, despite these problems, I’m glad I took the journey across Laika: Aged Through Blood’s barren hellscape. Despite its extreme violence and unapologetic bleakness, this space is defined by a surprising emotional range thanks to its compelling protagonist and her brutal quest to save those she loves. Motorcycle treks through the wastes are backed by a soundtrack that teases out pain only partially staunched by the thrills of motorcycle-backed duels. And perhaps most notably, it works as an underrepresented game about motherhood, detailing both the unfair expectations and triumphs that come from being a mom. It’s an experience capable of conjuring powerful feelings: disgust, despair, and a smoldering hope that our gunslinger’s actions can improve the lot of those closest to her.
Although The Midnight Walk’s interactive elements can’t match the artistry of its hand-molded clay figures, that doesn’t dampen how impressive this audiovisual journey is at its best.